When rumors began to swirl about a possible split between Jalen Ramsey and the Miami Dolphins, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were mentioned by some as a potential suitor.
On paper, the move made some sense, as Tampa Bay’s secondary struggled mightily last season, and adding a player of Ramsey’s caliber is always an intriguing possibility.
But that speculation was put to rest when the Pittsburgh Steelers pulled off a rare player-for-player trade, sending star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to Miami in exchange for Ramsey.
As part of a separate deal that rounded out the full package, the Steelers also acquired tight end Jonnu Smith and the teams swapped Day 3 draft picks.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) June 30, 2025The full Dolphins-Steelers trade, per source:
PIT receives:
CB Jalen Ramsey
TE Jonnu Smith
2027 seventh-round pickMIA receives:
S Minkah Fitzpatrick
2027 fifth-round pick pic.twitter.com/XWitHbgnEv
The Dolphins landing a former All-Pro like Fitzpatrick as the return for Ramsey was a much bigger haul than most expected, and more than the Buccaneers would’ve been willing to offer.
Some fans floated the idea of a swap involving Jamel Dean and a late-round pick, but as Pittsburgh’s offer showed, that kind of package wouldn’t have gotten the Dolphins to the table.
In addition to the trade compensation, the Steelers also took on the majority of Ramsey’s $26.6 million salary for 2025, another factor that likely would’ve gave the Bucs some pause.
Ultimately, it might be a blessing in disguise that Jason Licht chose to stand pat. Not only did Tampa Bay avoid making a massive financial commitment to a 30-year-old cornerback, but they also didn’t really have an open spot for him.
The Bucs addressed the position in the draft by selecting Benjamin Morrison in the second round and Jacob Parrish in the third, and both rookies are expected to play significant roles this season. Rather than chasing a splashy veteran, Tampa Bay appears content to develop its young core and see what it already has in-house.
